Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS

Professional Counselor

Trudi Griffin is a Licensed Professional Counselor based in Wisconsin. She specializes in addictions, mental health problems, and trauma recovery. She has worked as a counselor in both community health settings and private practice. She also works as a writer and researcher, with education, experience, and compassion for people informing her research and writing subjects. She received Bachelor’s degrees in Communications and Psychology from the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. She also earned an MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marquette University.

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Q&A Comments (219)

I excel at all of these things, but my parents still treat me like a baby. It makes me really angry, and I feel like I'm going to snap. What should I do to convince them to let me stay home alone?
Remember that staying home alone is a privilege, not a right. If you make a big deal out of it, they may become suspicious about your motives. For example, they might think that you want to do things at home that you don't want them to see. In the meantime, all you can do is be respectful and mature. Even if their wishes seem ridiculous to you, follow them. Losing your temper will only make the situation worse.
What do I do if my parent is verbally abusive?
If you have parents who are verbally abusive, there are other problems within the family system that should be addressed through therapy. However, therapy does not change your responsibility to be honest about what happened, deal with the consequences, and create a plan to fix the situation if it’s possible. The goal is to separate losing the item from your parents’ verbal abuse. You can control your behavior and reaction, but you cannot control theirs. One way to help yourself in the situation is to have another trusted adult present when you tell them. Perhaps another family member, or someone who can advocate for you while diffusing your parents’ verbal abuse, acting as a mediator. Sometimes verbally abusive people are less likely to be so when other people are around, especially if it is someone they know and trust. Having a mediator present may help diffuse the initial reaction, but if your parents are verbally abusive to you after that person leaves, then that person can be someone you turn to for additional help.
What should you do if you lost money?
Create a plan to replace the money or the monetary value of something you lost. If you already have a plan in place when you tell your parents you lost it, you are showing maturity, taking responsibility for your actions, and showing them you are willing to be held accountable. By doing something extra to repay the value of the lost item, you are also letting them know that you understand there are consequences for losing things and that you’re not only willing to handle the consequences, but that you know that doing something extra is required.
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